Steel-sheathed box-car.



W. E FOWLER, SR. STEEL SHEATHED BOX CAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1914.

1,151,851., v Patented. Aug. 24, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET W. E. FOWLER, SR. STEEL SHEATHED BOX CAR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1914.

1915. 3 SHEETSSHEET 2" Patented Aug. 24,

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w u m v. E Q i L I i n W. E. FOWLER, SR.

STEEL SHEATHED BOX CAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1914.

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WILLIAM E. FOWLER, $3., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FOWLER CAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STEEL-SHEATHED BOX-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Aug. 2a, 1915.

Application filed May 28, 1914. Serial No. 841,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. FOWLER, Sr., a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steel-Sheathed Box-Cars, of which the following is a specification- My invention relates to railway cars and has particular reference to a novel steelsheathed box car.

A11 object in the present construction is to provide a car of steel exterior, and, if desired, with a wooden interior, for the purpose of insulation which shall be so constructed as shall obviate the necessity for framing, the load being carried by the walls themselves.

A further object is to provide means in connection with such a car whereby a wooden sheathing may be readily applied if desired, the interior surface including side such cars are not available for general servand end walls, floor and roof, being adaptable to the application or omission of the wooden sheathing element.

For many uses a car composed of a single steel sheathing would be satisfactory but ice unless provision is made for the attachment to the interior of bracing for securing certain types of lading. Such bracing cannot be readily secured without the provision of wooden posts to which the bracing would be nailed. Such posts or nailing strips are particularly desirable in the floor as well as in the walls and roof.

The car which I have devised is of exceeding simple construction and may consist in a plurality of metallic units or sheets bent at their edges to facilitate fastening, the

point of juncture of the plates'accommodating a wooden post which may assist in bracing the sides and provide for the attachment of an inside sheathing of wood by means of nails. The same construction is followed in the floor the wooden strips being seated flush with the metallic floor. In the roof the same principle of construction is followed a notable advantage being gained in the omission of the usual carlines and purlines. The joints in the metallic members serve as the roof braces or carlines.

A particular advantage in the construction here presented is in that a dead air space shown in Fig. 3;

is provided between the metallic and nonmetallic sheathing. This is accomplished by permitting the wooden posts which are seated in the metallic sheathing to project inwardly beyond the faces thereof for a short distance. When the wooden sheathing is nailed thereto a dead air space remains. This acts as an efficient insulator from heat and cold. 7

Preferably the wooden posts are secured in the channels formed at the juncture of the side plates by means of bolts or rivets which extend in a line parallel with the plane of the plates. Thus the tendency of the channels to open up under strain is overcome. The

sides should not be relied upon to carry the I a similar view of the end construction Fig.

5 is an enlarged detail of the method of joining theroof structure to the side wall; Fig. 6 is a similar view taken at a point adjacent to that shown in Fig. 5; Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged sections of the construction Fig. 9 is an end view of the casting by means of which the roof structure is secured to the wall at the point of the usual carline. Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views of a modified form of top and bottom connections for the side wall, and, Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing a modified construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that on an under frame consisting of center sills 10, and transoms 11, I superpose my novel box arrangement, the side and end walls of which may consist in sheets or plates 13, preferably flanged at their four edges. The bottom flanges 14, project outwardly and rest within a notch 12, formed in the transoms 11. As shown in Fig. l, the bottom flanges of adjacent sheets are over-lapped as at 15, the joint for this is that the flange at one side of the sheet is permitted to extend to the full width of the material prior to the formation'of the side joint or connection between adjacent sheets whereas a small portion of the flange of the sheet in the adjacent section is removed. As best shown in Fig. 7, the side connections between adjacent sheets is made by bending the marginal edges of the sheets in the form of an angle 16, then over-lapping the edges, 17, 18 of the angles, and joining the same by means of rivets 19. I may prefer to bend the marginal edges of the plates in the form of channels 20, as best shown in Fig. 12, seating one channel within the other and holding the same in proper relation by means of the rivets 21.

As an additional stiflening means I may prefer to provide intermediate vertical crimps 22, in the plates these being formed without cutting the sheets except at the bottom where the flanged portion is cut out as required and over-lapped as at 23. At the tops the sheets are flanged outwardly as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, this flange 24 serving to strengthen the sheet and provide means for the attachment of the roof structure, or the flange may be omitted and. the sheet strengthened by means of the angle 24, as

shown in Fig. 10, extending from end to end of the car. The flange gussets 25, are riveted either to' the angle 24, or the integral flange 24*, the gussets also being riveted or bolted through the joints of the sheets. At the corners of the car the side sheets are bent into the usual angular shape where- 1 as the end sheets are bent into channel form as at 26, the legs of the angle and channel over-lapping and being secured together by rivets 27.

The floor construction is very similar to that of the side walls. The sheets 28, extend longitudinally of the car their outer edges 29, resting on the angles 29, and being riveted thereto. The joints 30, in the floor plates are similar to the side joints and I may also provide channels or crimps 31, in the plates as shown. The floor plates may also be riveted directly to the center sills as shown at 32.

The roof construction consists in a similar series of plates 33, the joints in the roof being preferably of the form shown in Fig. 12; that is, the marginal edges of the roof plates being formed into channels, one channel being seated within another. The joints of the roof plates are secured at the eaves to a casting 34, having inwardly projecting flanges 35, which fit snugly within the channels of the joints and which is provided with a vertical wall terminating in a depending flange 36, secured to the downturned edge 37, of the roof sheets. These end walls.

castings 34, are riveted as at 38, to the flanges 24*, at the upper edge of the sheets. Additional rivets 39, are provided which pass through the channel joints and the casting 34. Thus the roof sheets are securely fastened to the side wall. Short angles 40, are riveted to the channel joints 1 at the peak of the roof and a running board A channelprefer to locate posts 43, and secure the same in place by means of bolts 44, passing transversely through the posts and the angles at the edges of the sheets in a line parallel with the car side. If a post becomes broken or deteriorates it may readily be removed and replaced by removing the bolts. Wood timbers or nailing strips 45, are provided for thefioor members and are located in the channels formed at the intersection of the sheets. A similar construction 1s followed for the roof. In the case of the roof, of course, the wooden filler members 46, are curved to correspond to the curvature of the roof. Bolts 47, may beused to secure the joints in the roof structure. To all of these wooden posts or fillers an inside sheathing 48, may be nailed or otherwise secured, the construction being such that a dead air space 49, is left between the sheathing both as to the side and As best shown in Fig. 6, a similar space 50, is left between the roof sheets and a wooden lining 5.1, in the roof.

This insulating space is secured by allowing the posts or filler blocks 43, 46, to project outside the plane of the metal sheets the required distance. This is clearly shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In case no inside sheathing is desired the posts or filler blocks may be installed ,with their edges flush with the surface of the metal sheets, and when bracing is required within the car the wooden posts are available for the attachment 2 underframing, side Walls superposed there-' inclination or curvature of the roof. These and other modifications I consider within the scope of my invention.

I claim: 1 v 1. In a railway car, the combination of underframing, a superposed box, said box including walls composed of metallic sheets having their vertical marginal edges bent outwardly into angular form, portions of the edges of adjacentsheets being overlapped and providing a vertical recess, a wooden post mounted in said recess and se curing means passing through said wood and metallic members, said securing means extending in a plane parallel to the sheets composing the wall, said recess and post being located so as to provide a plane interior surface for said car substantially as described.

2. In a railway car, the combination of on, said walls being composed of overlapped metallic sheets providing vertically extending recesses, wood posts mounted in said recesses and fastening means extending through said posts and sheets and located in a line parallel to said wall, said recesses and posts being so located as to provide a plane interior surface for said car substantially as described.

3. In a railway car, the combination of walls including metallic sheets, the vertical marginal edges of which are bent to engage with similar edges of an adjacent sheet and to provide a recess at the joint, a vertical rib located intermediate of the edges of the sheets and bent to provide a vertical recess, and wood posts located in said recesses and secured by bolts extending parallel to the plane of the wall, substantially as described.

4. In a railway car, the combination of walls composed of metallic sheets, the vertical marginal edges of which are bent to provide channels, the channel of one sheet being mounted within a corresponding channel of an adjacent sheet, wood posts mounted in the channel thus formed, and securing means therefor, substantially as described. 5. a railway car, the combination of walls composed of metallic sheets, the vertical marginal edges of which are .bent to provide channels, the channel of one sheet &

in the channel thus formed, and securing means therefor, said securing means extending parallel to the plane of the wall, substantially as described. 6. In a railway car, the combination of side and end walls, floor and roof, all composed of metallic sheets, the marginal edges of which are crimped and secured together to provide channels at the intersection of adjacent sheets and wooden strips located insaid channels, substantially as described.

I 7.In a railway car, the combination of exterior metallic walls including sheets having flanged vertical edges, the flanges of adjacent sheets being secured together to provide for a vertical channel, a wood post mounted in said channel, securing means passing through said flanges and said post in a line parallel to the wall, and a wood sheathing securedto said post, substantially as described.

8. In a railway car, the combination of 'walls composed of flanged sheets, adjacent 7 bottom flanges being adapted to overlap corresponding flanges on an adjacent sheet, substantially as described. 10. A car having paneled walls, the panels being composed of metal sheets bent at their side margins, the bent portions of adjacent sheets providing vertical channels, and strengthening ribs connecting the said channels at the top and bottom thereof, substantially as described.

Signed at Ghicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 22nd day of May,

WILLIAM E. FOWLER, SR. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. MURRAY, T. D. BUTLER. 

